Gun container

ABSTRACT

A gun container for protecting, transporting and storing long guns comprising scabbard and boot members, both formed of rigid, molded material and each having a cushion-like, resilient interior. The scabbard and boot members telescopingly, sealingly engage and lock relative to one another with a common carrying handle. Detent locking means selectively operable to slidably engage the boot and scabbard members until the length of the container is substantially coincident with the length of a gun carried therein. The container is shaped to solidly engage only durable portions of the gun placed therein and is operable to protect more fragile components, such as magazine assembly and scope, from exterior impact force.

United States Patent [191 Greek July 10, 1973 GUN CONTAINER Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Jerold M. Forsberg [76] Inventor: Richard A. Greek, 3206 Plant 2 Drive, Boise, Idaho 83703 Ammeyqm [22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl' Non 171,825 A gun container for protecting, transporting and storing long guns comprising scabbar'd and boot members, 52 US. Cl. 224/2 A, 220/8, 224/45 P both formed of rigid, molded material and each having 51 Int. Cl. F4lc 27/00 a cushion-like, resilient int s [58] Field Of Search 224/2 A, 2 C, l R, The cabbard and boot 2 members telescopingly,

224/5 45 45 Q, 5 5 5 5 sealingly engage and lock relative to one another with 4 B a common carrying handle. Detent locking means selectively operable to slidably engage the boot and References Cited scabbard members until the length of the container is UNITED STATES PATENTS substantially coincident with the length of a gun carried 290,205 0 12/1883 Bronson 224/2 A 7 53/1968 Plaskan 220/3 X The container is shaped to solidly engage only durable 784,901 3/i905 Sheldon 224/2 A portions f the gun placed therein and is Operable to 1,903,798 4/1933 Turner 224/5 R protect more fragile components, such as magazine assembly and scope, from exterior impact force.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENIEII JIII I ("973 'SIIEEIIUFZ FIG. I

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

RICHARD A. ORECK 'Pmmwm 3.744.687 suntan? 2 FIG. 8

RICHARD A. ORECK J'NVENTOR.

GUN CONTAINER FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to gun containers, wherein a variety of rifles, shotguns, and the like are transported, stored, or protected.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Gun containers, commonly known in the art, used and employed to transport, store, and protect long guns, are generally constructed of heavy leather; and may be lined with a resilient material intended to pro tect the guns finish and fragile parts. Such gun containers may be provided with a cover for the stock group of the gun, and are often provided with a carrying handle means. Gun containers may also include means for locking the cover to the gun container over the stock of the gun. These commonly known gun containers generally accommodate only one type of gun and provide only limited protection against impact forces to the exterior of the gun container. Rarely has there been a design which will accommodate scope mounted weapons. The leather material generally used in the construction of the gun containers is expensive in cost and requires the employment of persons extremely skilled in the art. The leather material characteristically tends to deteriorate with time.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide means operable to transport, store, and protect long guns; wherein, said means is engageable with the gun at its more durable points, and the more fragile parts, such as the magazine and the scope mechanisms, are suspended in said means, being free of contact therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide means operable to transport a long gun by freight transportation, to provide a carrying means for easy carrying, and to provide a locking means.

Another object is to provide means operable to protect long guns in transport or storage from high impact forces and to provide a soft interior covering material operable to cushion a gun carried therein and to protect the finish of the gun.

It is an object of this invention to provide means operable to carry a wider variety of long gun types.

Another object is to provide a method of making the gun container of the present invention and for installing the cushioning means for the interior of the gun container, and to do so at relatively low cost of production.

These and other objects shall become apparent from the description following, it being understood that modifications may be made without affecting the teachings of the invention here set out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, a gun container for protecting, transporting and storing long guns comprising scabbard and boot members, both-formed of rigid, molded material and each having a cushion-like resilient interior.

The scabbard and boot members telescopingly, sealingly engage and lock relative to one another with a common carrying handle. Detent locking means selectively operable to slidably engage the boot and scabbard members until the length of the container is substantially coincident with the length of a gun carried therein.

The container is shaped to solidly engage only durable portions of the gun placed therein and is operable to protect more fragile components, such as magazine assembly and scope, from exterior impact force.

A more thorough and comprehensive understanding may be had from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when read in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a right side elevational view of the gun container of the present invention showing to advantage a boot member, a scabbard member, and a lock-handle chain joined together in the closed position of the container. I

FIG. 2 is a left side elevational exploded view of the boot and scabbard members of the gun container.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary left side elevational view of a central portion of the gun container drawn to a larger scale showing to advantage detents of the boot and scabbard members.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of the FIG. I, and drawn to a larger scale.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, drawn to a larger scale, of the open terminal ends of the boot and scabbard members of the gun container.

FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view of the scabbard and boot members in a single seamless unit, as molded, and showing broken lines representing the cutting lines along which the members are separated.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a boot mandrel and a boot lining sock.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational exploded view of a scabbard mandrel and a scabbard lining sock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to the FIGS. 1 and 2, the gun container of the present invention is shown to advantage and identified by the numeral 10. The gun container 10 comprises a boot member 11, a scabbard member 12, and a lock-handle chain 13. The scabbard l2 slidably engages in the boot 11 in a manner hereinafter later described. The container 10 is configured in a manner, hereinafter later described, to receive long guns of a variety of types and shapes. The internal design is such that the scabbard 12 contacts the gun at points on the trigger guard, the

forestock, and the top barrel. A scope mounted on a gun will not contact the wall of the scabbard 12, and the butt portion of the stock group of the gun will not engage the boot 11. That is to say that the most durable parts of a long gun will be contacted by the container 10, while the more fragile mechanisms of the gun are free of contact.

Referring now to the FIG. l, the boot 11 and the scabbard 12 are provided each with a protruding convoluted bolt housing 14, formed byhousing portions 14 and 15 respectively. The bolt housing 14 is operable to accommodate a rifle bolt or the like projecting from the side of a gun. The exterior of the container 10 may be suitably provided with a recessed identification plate 16 having the owner's name or other information affixed thereto.

The boot 11 is provided on its uppermost terminal edge, distally from its forwardmost terminal end, with a ring-like eye portion 17. To the eye 17 is attached the handle-locking chain 13. The scabbard 12 is similarly provided with a plurality of eyes 18, 19, and on its uppermost terminal edge. In practice it has been found to advantage to mold the eyes 17, 18, 19, and 20 as a single unit on their respective boot 11 and scabbard 12. The lock-handle chain 13 is provided with a latching means 21 disposed at the remaining end of the chain 13 operable to detachably connect the chain 13 to the scabbard eye 19. It has been found to advantage to employ a clip-type latch (not shown) suitably configured to carry a commonly known padlock 21. It is apparent that the chain thus disposed between the boot eye 17 and the scabbard eye 19 is operable as a locking means, as a carrying means, and as a means to tether the boot to the scabbard when the gun is in use. In practice it has been found to advantage to employ a rolle'd chrome plated chain provided with a vinyl cover (not shown). The scabbard eye 20 is provided on the scabbard l2 distally from the terminal end opposite the boot engaging end. The eye 20 is operable in combination with the eyes 17, 18, and 19 as a sling mounting means or a mounting means for any of a number of modes of transport. It is 'to be understood that the extended handlesling means may be made of any of a number of flexible materials, such as leather, vinyl, and the like.

Referring now to the FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the scabbard 12 is slidably carried within the boot 1 1, and is suitably held by a detent locking means22 transversely disposed into the boot 11 in combination with receiving means 23, 23', and 23" transversely disposed into the scabbard 12. In operation, when the boot l1 and the scabbard 12 have been telescoped together to a length coincident with that of the gun carried in the container 10, the detent 22 may engage one of the receiving means 23, 23, or 23". It has been found to advantage to position the forwardmost means 23 on the scabbard 12 so that, when the forwardmost terminal end of the boot ll abuts the rearwardmost terminal end of the eye 18, as in the case of a short gun, the detent 22 will engage the means 23, thus locking the boot 11 and scabbard 12 together. As shown by the FIG. 4, the means 23, 23, and 23" are provided with a forwardly inclined wall 24 and a substantially perpendicularly disposed wall 25. The means 23, 23', and 23" are configured so that the boot 11 with its detent 22 may slide-easily forward over the inclined wall 24, while the detent 22 will be retained rearwardly by the perpendicular wall 25 of the means 23, 23', 23".

Referring now to the FIGS. 4 and 5, the boot 11 and the scabbard 12 are each provided on the periphery of their respective terminal openings with inwardly projecting lips 26 and 27 respectively. The lip 27 is operable to cam boot lip 26 over the outer wall of the scabbard 12. The outer lip 26 of the boot 1] is operable to form a tight rigid gasket-like seal about the periphery of the outer wall of the scabbard 12.

It has been found to advantage to mold the boot 11 and the scabbard 12 of the container 10 of a high impact material, such as plastic, using methods resulting in seamless walls of a uniform thickness. This may be accomplished by rotational molding in which a predetermined quantity of raw material, usually in pellet form, is introduced into a mold which may be configured to form both the boot 1 1 and scabbard 12 portions as a unitary casting; the material is heated to a preselected temperature at which the material is melted while being rotated; and the container unit 10 is allowed to cool. The mold'may be opened, and the integral gun container 10 removed. A characteristic of the rotational molding method is that the interior configuration of the container 10 will exactly follow the external configuration.

As shown in the FIG. 6, the boot member 11 and the scabbard member 12 are integrally joined by a central section 28. The section 28 is provided with an inward rearwardly disposed beveled lip 29 on the scabbard receiving end of the boot 11, and with a forwardly disposed beveled portion 30 of the boot receiving end of the scabbard 12. By cutting along the beveled portions 29 and 30 of the section 28, the cutting lines 31 and 32 respectively are shown as broken lines in the FIG. 6, the aforementioned lip portions 26 and 27 are formed. It is to be understood that, although rotational molding has been described, other molding methods may be employed, such as injection molding, vacuum forming, electrostatic molding, and fiberglass-and-gelcoat.

Referring again to the FIGS. 4 and 5, the container 10 is covered on its inner gun-contacting surfaces with synthetic fur-like material 33 and 34 of the respective boot 11 and scabbard 12. In practice it has been found to advantage to employ synthetic fur for its nonabrasive cushioning qualities, and because moisture tends not to be carried in the synthetic fibers and is not transmitted to the gun. Generally the interior covering material 33 covers the inner rearward walls of the boot 11 between the butt engaging rearwardmost terminal end of the boot portion 1 l and an area corresponding to the scabbard 12 engaging area when the 'members ll and 12 are fully telescoped. The boot covering 33 may be sewn into a suitable sock-like configuration and then placed, by means of a mandrel 35 as shown in the FIG. 7, into the boot 11 which has been treated with a suitable adhesive, such as contact cement. The mandrel 35 includes a block portion 36 and a shoe lever assembly 37. The block 36 conforms to the inner configuration of the walls of the boot 11. The shoe lever assembly 37'is operable to selectively contact a suitably configured covering 33 with the upwardly curved portion 38, shown more clearly in the FIG. 2, at the uppermost terminal edge of the boot 11. The shoe lever assembly 37, rectilinearly disposed on the block 36, includes a shoe plate 39, an upwardly urging shoe spring 40 disposed between the lowermost terminal edge of the shoe plate 39 and the block 36, a pivotally mounted actuator lever 41, and a shoe-lever linkage 42. The actuator lever 41 is an angularly configured fulcum having a pair of arm portions convex to the block 36, and pivoting at the vertex of the angle on a pivot means 43. The shoe-lever linkage 42 may be suitably disposed within the block 36 connecting the shoe plate 39 and the linkage receiving end of the actuator lever 41 by pivotal means. In opera.- tion the block 36'may be grasped at the terminal end while depressing the handle portion 45 of the actuator 41; the boot covering 33 and mandrel 35 may be inserted into the boot 11 provided with a suitable adhesive, and the handle 45 may be released, thus allowing the shoe plate 39 to contact the curved portion 38 of the boot 11. By this means the covering 33 may be installed within the cavity at the butt end of the boot 11 without wrinkles or the like. As shown by the FIG. 8, the scabbard 12 may be similarly lined with a covering 34 to conform to the inner configuration of the scabbard 12. The covering 34 covers the entire internal length of the scabbard 12 to the inner terminal edge of the lip 27. The covering 34 is placed on a mandrel 46. The combination of covering 34 and a mandrel 46 may then be inserted into the scabbard 12 in an analogous manner to that used when inserting the boot covering 33 into the boot 11.

Having thus described in detail a preferred apparatus which embodies the concepts and principles of the invention and which accomplishes the various objects, purposes and aims thereof, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes could be made in the apparatus without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein-Hence, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A gun container for protecting, transporting, and storing long guns of a variety of sizes and types comprising a scabbard member formed of substantially rigid, high impact material, open at one end and closed at an opposite end, said scabbard increasing in size interiorly from the closed end to the open end and being shaped to engage the trigger guard, forestock, and top of barrel of a long gun placed therein, and conforming to the approximate shape of the gun, and having an inwardly turned lip portion at the open end; boot member formed of high impact material and having an open mouth at one end and being closed at an opposite end, said boot increasing in size interiorly from the closed end to the open end and conforming approximately to the shape of the stock portion of a gun, and an inwardly turned lip at the opening, said lip being operable to engage the curved edge of the scabbard and the exterior surface thereof as the boot is telescoped over the end. of the scabbard.

2. A gun container as in claim 1, further including means for retaining the boot section in a selected telescoped position relative to the scabbard sectionv 3. A gun container as in claim 2, wherein the means for retaining the boot in a selected telescoped position relative to the scabbard section comprises a detent means on one of said members; and a plurality of grooved recesses on the other said member arranged to be selectively engaged by the detent means as the boot is telescoped onto and off of the scabbard.

4. A gun container as in claim 3, wherein the detent means comprises an inwardly protruding ridge disposed transversely on the boot member; and grooved recesses suitably transversely disposed into the scabbard member, said recesses being operable to facilitate telescop ing of said boot and scabbard, while retaining said ridge within said recesses in rearward movement of said boot with response to said scabbard.

5. A gun container as in claim 3, further including a cushion-like, resilient material fully lining the interior of the scabbard and partially lining the interior of the rearward portion of the boot.

6. A gun container as in claim 5, including cushionlike, resilient material which is a synthetic fur operable to be nonabrasive and operable to not transmit moisture to guns carried in said container.

7. A gun container as in claim 5, further including a flexible handle means extending between the scabbard and boot members; and means provided on the said members to rigidly attach said handle to one of said container members, and to detachably connect and lock the opposite end of said handle. 

1. A gun container for protecting, transporting, and storing long guns of a variety of sizes and types comprising a scabbard member formed of substantially rigid, high impact material, open at one end and closed at an opposite end, said scabbard increasing in size interiorly from the closed end to the open end and being shaped to engage the trigger guard, forestock, and top of barrel of a long gun placed therein, and conforming to the approximate shape of the gun, and hAving an inwardly turned lip portion at the open end; a boot member formed of high impact material and having an open mouth at one end and being closed at an opposite end, said boot increasing in size interiorly from the closed end to the open end and conforming approximately to the shape of the stock portion of a gun, and an inwardly turned lip at the opening, said lip being operable to engage the curved edge of the scabbard and the exterior surface thereof as the boot is telescoped over the end of the scabbard.
 2. A gun container as in claim 1, further including means for retaining the boot section in a selected telescoped position relative to the scabbard section.
 3. A gun container as in claim 2, wherein the means for retaining the boot in a selected telescoped position relative to the scabbard section comprises a detent means on one of said members; and a plurality of grooved recesses on the other said member arranged to be selectively engaged by the detent means as the boot is telescoped onto and off of the scabbard.
 4. A gun container as in claim 3, wherein the detent means comprises an inwardly protruding ridge disposed transversely on the boot member; and grooved recesses suitably transversely disposed into the scabbard member, said recesses being operable to facilitate telescoping of said boot and scabbard, while retaining said ridge within said recesses in rearward movement of said boot with response to said scabbard.
 5. A gun container as in claim 3, further including a cushion-like, resilient material fully lining the interior of the scabbard and partially lining the interior of the rearward portion of the boot.
 6. A gun container as in claim 5, including cushion-like, resilient material which is a synthetic fur operable to be nonabrasive and operable to not transmit moisture to guns carried in said container.
 7. A gun container as in claim 5, further including a flexible handle means extending between the scabbard and boot members; and means provided on the said members to rigidly attach said handle to one of said container members, and to detachably connect and lock the opposite end of said handle. 